The Fiery Rose
by Leonata8913
Summary: A request from a friend! Prompt: What really should have happened between Merlin and Morgan early on in the series.


**The Fiery Rose; the Open Heart.**

Merlin gulped as he rocked a weeping Morgana back in forth on the bed in her chambers. He had only been walking back to Gaius' quarters after Arthur had dismissed him for the night, when he heard Morgana scream and start to sob. At first, he was going to ignore it and keep walking, knowing that Gwen would be in to calm the woman down eventually, but stopped short at remembering that Gwen wasn't in Camelot. The dark skinned maidservant was away for a few days, with her father to visit her sick uncle, so Morgana was alone and Merlin was driven to break at least ten laws.

He had run into her rooms and sat on the edge of Morgana's bed, the raven haired woman immediately collapsing into his embrace and crying into his shoulder as he cooed soft nothings into her ear. Morgana seemed to calm down some, but continued to bury her nose into the juncture of Merlin's shoulder and neck.

Morgana knew she was being ridiculous, that she shouldn't allow somebody such as Merlin to see her in such a state. It was completely unorthodox, scandalous, even. If Uther knew... Oh God, if Uther even _suspected…_ But Morgana thought of Merlin and Gwen as friends, well, at least acquaintances and having been awoken from another night terror that plagued her. With Merlin's arms around her, the Lady shifted, her dress pooling around her feet as she curled her legs up and tucked herself into a ball, closer to the hand servant.

It was… nice, being held so closely, so intimately. She never was able to be held like this by Uther, the man not having enough emotion to spare children during his raids. Even Arthur wasn't allowed to touch her in such comforting gestures, not for something as trivial as a bad dream. Merlin however, Merlin wasn't just another servant. He wasn't some snobbish noble who would leave for his own kingdom eventually, nor was he a suitor that Uther had chosen. This was the boy who fought Arthur at every chance he got and would never care for such things as 'Social Class' if he could help someone. He didn't let his own position stop him from caring for Morgana. It was dizzying to think of.

It took several minutes, and she had completely drenched Merlin's top with her tears before she hiccupped whilst she attempted to get a hold of herself once more. "My... My apologies, Merlin. I don't know..." She trailed off, she couldn't lie at the moment; she knew what was wrong, she just couldn't tell anybody. Not even someone like Merlin or Gwen. Uther would have her burned at the stake were he to believe she held magic. Magic that she couldn't control or stop.

Merlin looked down at the girl in his arms and gave a small smile. He still felt a bit awkward for just barging in, but in his heart he knew that this was the right thing to do for the young ward. He rubbed light circles on her back to help keep her calm. "It's alright, My Lady." He said, using formalities for some reason. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked after a minute. 

Despite her little breakdown, Morgana could feel herself relaxing when Merlin's fingers moved against her back, and she sniffled, once, just trying to gain some composure though she didn't move away from him just yet. "Merlin, we are friends; are we not? I've told you countless times to call me "Morgana." She felt comfortable enough for the squire to call her as such. Yes, she wanted to talk about it, to tell anyone of the peculiar things that were happening. She thought she could handle this, but she'd need help. But could she completely trust Merlin? "I can't think to tell anybody. If Uther... If _Arthur_..." She trailed off again. Morgana didn't fear Arthur, just the loyalty he had for his father; for the man who acted as hers since her own had died.

Merlin gave out a slight chuckle and nodded, feeling better with having been excused of using titles. "Alright then, Morgana." he started, speaking in a soft, gentle tone. He remembered having to do the same with a child as she sat with Merlin while her mother was being treated by Gaius for a very serious infection. The poor thing was crying her eyes out and Merlin was the only one there to calm her down. This was only slightly different. This was not a child, but Morgana, Uther Pendragon's ward and Arthur's own half-sister. "I'm neither Uther, nor Arthur. You can talk to me." He chided kindly. Hearing her name from him would usually bring a smile to her lips but given the circumstance it just wasn't enough.

Swallowing down the lump in her throat, Morgana pushed herself up and away from Merlin's chest, though her skirts and legs still touched his, she wasn't willing to move _that_ far just yet. Her blue-green gaze rested upon him when he spoke of her being able to speak to him about anything. She could see his warm heart through his deep blue eyes, entrancing her in a lull of peace, I only for the moment.

"If anything, you can talk to me on what your dream was about." As an afterthought, he placed his index finger to his lips and whispered. "I'm very good at keeping secrets." His little action that was clearly thought of after was the deciding factor, as her lips pulled upwards.

Morgana opened her mouth to speak, then looked around the room and stood, moving to bolt the door so that no passersby would be able to come in unannounced; and one of the guards would obviously do that. She wanted to return to her spot, to bury her face in Merlin's shoulder. like she had done when she told her father something when she was nothing more than four years old, like she had when merlin first came into her chambers, but this was different now, and she began to pace before the loyal boy. "You're going to think me mad... Or evil or both, and I understand. I see things, Merlin." She paused, gauging his reaction before she continued to tell him about the broken vase earlier that day. Rather the vase that should be broken.  
It were times like these that he truly admired Morgana's intelligence. God knows what different ways Uther would have him executed by, should he have been found in the Royal Ward's bedchambers. As he listened to Morgana's description of the vase and the possibility of her being evil, Merlin tried to keep his features as neutral as possible. He didn't want to give any hints as to his own personal understandings of the Lady's situation. When she was done, he bent forward, placed his hands together and pressed both his index fingers to his lips.

"What do _you_ think it means?" He asked, tone calm and open, not at all judgmental or harsh. He wanted to know exactly what Morgana thought of all this personally before stating his own opinion.  
To start with, she thought that she was going mad. She could hear whispers of people who were gone and she felt so much more compassion when the law condemned the sorcerers in the land; perhaps that was why. It wasn't just her gentle nature. She paused her pacing as she caught sight of herself in her dressing table mirror, the hand mirror she had earlier dropped and broken still on the floor, Morgana hastily wiped out invisible creases on her emerald gown. The tone Merlin adopted only urging her, despite her better judgments, to continue. "I was told what it was, I don't know how. I was sleeping and I dreamed of a boy, a boy no older than ten. He was smiling at me… Then I- I saw myself, and I was next to-… someone and I was doing…" She then turned her features to Merlin, arranging them in a way that pleaded him not to sound an alarm, not to judge her too harshly and not to hate her. She hadn't allowed herself to believe it until now, but everything added up, she swallowed thickly, "I believe I possess magic."

As soon as the word 'magic' passed through her lips, Merlin was not sure of whether to sigh in relief or stiffen in fear. The woman before him was extremely close to the King. Its suicide for the both of them, discussing something as taboo as this; especially saying that one of them actually possessed it. (Look who was talking…) He took in a steadying breathe and gave her a look of contemplation, before asking, "Are you entirely sure? These things may just happen coincidentally." His mind was applauding him at making it seem as if he did not want to consider magic a possibility, but his heart and magic alike were yelling at him to get up and hug Morgana and to tell her all of his own secrets.

"Do you think I would be telling you this if I wasn't sure?" Seven hells, she shouldn't have said anything, this wouldn't end well, but then; she was under the impression that it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She wasn't afraid of magic, or what it could do but more of the repercussions of having it was. Merlin sat up straight for a moment, before getting up and walking forward several paces, standing a few paces away from Morgana.

"I shouldn't... I didn't mean to snap at you, Merlin. It's not a coincidence. My nightmares, that's what it is, I can do things. It's getting stronger and I don't know what to do." She turned, expecting him to be seated upon her bed but he was much closer. Merlin gave a shrug of nonchalance and smiled, letting her know he wasn't angry or scared in the slightest, that he wanted to help her. Wringing her hands together, Morgana kept her gaze locked upon him. Only when he smiled did she let out a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding. "Uther can't know, Merlin... He _can't_."  
Merlin watched as Morgana twisted her fingers together over and over in a nervous habit. The warlock could tell that it took a lot for Morgana to tell him, Hell, he was probably the first person she had told. Without much warning, he took four steps forward and pulled her into his arms, holding her in a reassuring embrace.

"I would rather burn on a thousand pyres than tell anyone." As he swore his oath of loyalty, he internally waited to see how Morgana would react to the sudden contact, as she had frozen for a moment out of shock. "Believe me, I understand completely." he promised.  
She had stiffened at the contact, not used to it really. It wasn't as though she and Arthur were the hugging type, and of course Uther wouldn't do that sort of thing. It was... Nice. It felt warm. It eased some of the loneliness that she felt as the King's Ward. When he spoke and she realized the truth of what he had said, she allowed her own arms to circle his middle, taking comfort in that he didn't want to recoil from her, that they could still be as friendly as two people in their positions could be. But then he had spoken again and her grip had loosened so she could take a step back, a furrow marring her brows,

"How could you possibly understand?"

Merlin's mind did a back track and he nearly cursed himself out loud for letting his tongue slip. He looked around the room, trying to think of a good excuse, when his eyes landed on Morgana again and he realized something. Morgana didn't have to tell him. She didn't have to let him hold her or comfort her. She trusted him with a secret that could have her executed. And here he was, not showing any reciprocation of that trust.

Morgana's gaze hardened, glassy as her eyes seemed from the earlier bout of tears, whilst she watched Merlin, waiting for an explanation, though she silently believed that he was now mocking her. Is that what her trust in confiding with him would be? It had been several moments before her eyes narrowed but she after she was about to send him away, Merlin had moved.

After Merlin had thought it through, he cupped his hand over his mouth. "Forbærnôn Don Rosë" He enchanted and with a flash of gold in his eyes. Morgana's expression changed into curiosity, her eyes widening with the words, she had no idea what language it was; she hadn't ever heard it been spoken and yet she understood. Then that flash, she knew what it was, and at the same time, not. Merlin brought down his hand and opened his palm. In it, a small fire. The flame was burning in his hand and for a moment she was worried it may burn him, but since Merlin showed no sign of that, she allowed herself to relax only when it was gone. As it burned itself out, it had slowly begun to take shape and once it was snuffed out of existence, a perfectly trimmed rose lay where the fire once was. He looked to Morgana in anticipation. The young ward waited for a moment before she plucked it out of his hand, as though making sure that it was real.

"You're... How did you do that?!" She demanded, her intelligent nature always pushing her curiosity. "You understand... How long?"

'_...I'm not alone in this_.' She thought. This wasn't something she had to deal with alone if Merlin was a warlock.

"I've had this all my life… I was born like this." Merlin replied, smiling sheepishly and clasping his hands behind his back. "Like I said, you can always talk to me." His tone was light, kind, scared. "You won't… You won't tell anyone, right? I kind of like my head on my shoulders." Morgana torn between slapping him upside the head, and kissing him. She decided to go for a separate option, smiling brightly as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Merlin's neck.

"I would rather burn on a thousand pyres than tell anyone." She whispered into his ear with a breathy giggle. "But… Now that I know," She started, pulling away, but only enough to see Merlin's face. "Tell me everything?" She asked hopefully and after Merlin's moment of shock, he nodded his head and smiled.

They spent the rest of the night sitting at Morgana's dining table, Morgana grinning as she listened to all of Merlin's tales and stories, giggling and comforting when necessary. She was entranced, enthralled, and utterly enamored with Merlin and all of his story telling, just the way he expressed his position in every situation and how he felt and what was happening in Camelot that only he knew of. For a moment, that night, Morgana wasn't scared of what was happening, she wasn't worried of going to bed and waking up with wild eyes filled with horror and confusion. She would never have to hide again. She had someone to confide in, to tell of her fears, she had someone to comfort her and make her smile in a world and time of such little happiness when it came to magic.

She had Merlin. And Merlin had her.

And together, they would defy destiny and together, they would never feel alone.

Hello! So, here's a little Mergana drabble that has been stuck in my head and blocking out all other ideas for my other fics! (Sorry for those waiting on Lose Before You Find) This is also a gag-gift for my Best Friend, since she hates anything to do with the Merlin/Morgana pairing! Sorry Bec! (::Cough::Not::Cough::) Anyway, as always, criticism is openly welcome and Enjoy!


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